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Chapter 3 Katrina sat quietly in one corner of the great hall in which students and teachers socialized at ate. She sat alone at the farthest table from the room’s entrance and with her back to the others. She choked on her own tears as she force-fed herself the tasteless much served as dinner. Her mask allowed just a small forkful within the mouth hole and allowed her face just enough movement to open her mouth wide enough to let it in. She chewed pointlessly as she berated herself, letting the gruel slide down her throat at the end of each thought. She called herself a fool for believing the compound so horrid. She cursed herself for wishing to be anywhere else, for blindly leaving behind the few people who actually liked her to be surrounded by many more who refused to even look at her. She reminded herself that had she stayed on Manooglious Prime she would most likely be dead, as many of her siblings now were, but Katrina had to wonder if that would truly be worse than where she was. “Meal time is over!” A shrill voice called as metal utensils fell loudly onto the trays of the many female students. Katrina turned to see a room full of uniformed female humans ranging in age from 5 standard-years to just past middle age stand and begin filing out. She looked back at her own half eaten tray and pushed it away before standing to follow their example. “Where do you think you are going?” Madame Zinkrey stopped Katrina at the door, holding tightly to her upper arm. “I was following them,” Katrina pointed uselessly after the others as they continued on their way. “You have no reason to follow them, you’re not going to class with any of them. They are good girls who will be scientists, politicians, wives and companions to important men, or anything else they choose to be. You, however, will be lucky if you are even allowed to serve one of them. You will come with me.” The white-haired, long faced woman tightened her hold on Katrina and began hurrying down the hall. Katrina struggled to keep up at the same time that she fought to free herself. She was dragged down one corridor after another, each far less impressive than the one before until they at least stopped at a plain wooden door set into boring gray bricks over a cracked and stained cement floor. “Come,” a soft voice called from inside before Madame Zinkrey had even signaled their presence. “Teach this one,” Madame Zinkrey gave Katrina a push into the room without entering it herself. “We’ve been paid to educate her but I won’t have her mixed in with my girls. Her education is your responsibility now.” Katrina only half heard the woman’s words; she was far too busy looking around. In the corner sat a thick-skinned, mean as dirt, multi-braid wearing Weequay. Next to the chair the alien occupied in the corner of the small room rested a high pile of fabric. On the wall opposite the creature stood a tall fireplace holding a bubbling metal pot that gave off the most appetizing aroma Katrina had ever known. Her stomach growled in response, just before the wooden door slammed shut again. “Don’t feed you too well up there, do they?” the Weequay asked, a touch of amusement in her voice. Katrina shook her head no and tried not to stare at the pot. She took note of the small cot sitting along one wall and a wooden table that leaned decidedly in one direction. The floor wasn’t as clean as all the others she had seen at the school, but the room felt all the better because of it. “I’ll get you a bowl, can’t have you starving on me,” the Weequay pushed itself to its feet and set down the cloth it had been putting needle and thread to. Katrina was impressed by the creature’s height. She guessed that the alien before her and Darth Vader himself would have trouble guessing which was taller, and that was an impressive feat, to be sure. “They call me Tabi, for some unknown reason that seems to amuse the human’s here immensely.” The Weequay, which Katrina finally guessed to be female, used a long handled ladle to scoop a thick broth into a carved stone bowl before adding several thick pieces of dried, stewed meat and vegetables from a jar kept just to the side of the large fireplace. Within seconds the additions had soaked up half of the broth and were tender and delicious. Katrina ate hungrily and greedily. When the bowl was empty Tabi refilled it without comment and gently pushed Katrina into a chair. She chuckled once or twice but said nothing until the girl sat back with a contented sigh. “My cooking is good, but not good enough to warrant that. When was the last time you ate, child?” Tabi asked kindly. “I had a little bit just now, in the mess hall but it wasn’t much or very good,” Katrina admitted. “I don’t remember when I ate before that, maybe a few days ago.” Tabi clucked her tongue and picked up the piece of cloth she had been working on when Katrina and Madame Zinkrey had interrupted her. She leaned back on her heels and let her shoulders touch the stonewall as she set to work placing one perfect stitch after another, very quickly. Katrina watched Tabi’s hands move with amazement. “They put you with me because they don’t know what else to do with you, but I think you and I are going to do very well here, and I guarantee you a much better education than what those know-it-all-know-nothings are teaching and learning up there,” Tabi promised with a wink. |
